I really wanted Thomas Robinson. More specifically I wanted the trade with Cleveland to go through and the cats picking Robinson at 4 and getting another 1st rounder. I was disappointed at first when they picked MKG.

But now that I've slept on it I feel much better about the pick. I see MKG as a future Gerald Wallace type cutter/slasher who can play lock down defense. He needs to improve his jump shot but that's one of the easier things to learn in the league (remember Jordan's jumper as a rookie?).

This kid is a fighter and winner and I'm looking forward to watching him develop over the next couple seasons.

I'm still grabbing my head over Dion waiters man...I just don't know...

He's a sleeper pick. I see the Dwyane Wade comparisons when I look at his videos, but even then I just don't know. Chris Grant said they wanted a shooting guard. Whether it be Beal or Waiters, they didn't care who was left on the board when #4 came up. It's either genius that Grant looked past Waiters not participating at the combine and him coming off the bench in college, or it'll be a major blundering mistake.

I'm still grabbing my head over Dion waiters man...I just don't know...

He's a sleeper pick. I see the Dwyane Wade comparisons when I look at his videos, but even then I just don't know. Chris Grant said they wanted a shooting guard. Whether it be Beal or Waiters, they didn't care who was left on the board when #4 came up. It's either genius that Grant looked past Waiters not participating at the combine and him coming off the bench in college, or it'll be a major blundering mistake.

look on the bright side... we only have until july 13th to get a gauge on him.

there is a record amount of teams playing in summer league this year to!

I'm still grabbing my head over Dion waiters man...I just don't know...

He's a sleeper pick. I see the Dwyane Wade comparisons when I look at his videos, but even then I just don't know. Chris Grant said they wanted a shooting guard. Whether it be Beal or Waiters, they didn't care who was left on the board when #4 came up. It's either genius that Grant looked past Waiters not participating at the combine and him coming off the bench in college, or it'll be a major blundering mistake.

It wasn't exactly Grant alone going out on some crazy limb. A lot of the teams picking behind us were hoping Waiters would drop to them... Most specifically Golden State at No. 7 who had Waiters pegged as their pick if he fell that far. Portland was also very interested in Waiters at 6. The lowest he was going to be picked was 7th and GSW was pretty open that, if he was there, that was the pick... Over Barnes who they ended up with.

When you look at it that way, it seems like much less of a reach.

Furthermore, why don't we look back at some of what was written about Oklahoma City when they "reached" for Russell Westbrook at No. 4.

Quote:

It'll be interesting to see where Seattle (or Oklahoma City) and Portland are at in five years. Actually, I take that back. I can already tell you that the Trail Blazers will have an NBA title and the SuperSonics will still be trying to reach the playoffs.

Why? Kevin Pritchard > Sam Presti and it's not even close.

You can't dispute how last year's first two picks played out, but how each team has handled this year's first selections will separate these two geographically close franchises for years to come.

Seattle needed either a true center or a point guard who could be a threat from outside to take some heat off of Kevin Durant. Instead, they drafted a combo guard who shot 33% from three-point range last season at UCLA. Russell Westbrook is a HUGE reach at No. 4. Do I think he's talented? Sure. First rounder? Absolutely. But 4th overall? For comparisons sake, Chris Paul was the 4th pick in 2005. That is an unreasonable comparison, but it goes to show you what you should still strive for that high in the draft.

If the Sonics couldn't move down, then Brook Lopez is great value that high. You've got a go-to guy in Durant, hopefully Jeff Green can be a nice compliment, and then Lopez could take care of the dirty work while still possessing an adequate array of offensive post moves to hold his own. Point guard was also a huge need, but since Durant still likes to play around the perimeter, it's my belief you want a guard who's a significant threat from outside as well, so that when Durant penetrates the opposing team is forced to sag off a bit. Jerryd Bayless can be that threat. He can't penetrate and run the fast break quite like Westbrook, but he can fill it up from anywhere and run the pick and roll with the best of them. The Sonics blew this high pick.

145 miles south, Trail Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard is quietly (can we say that?) building a very promising team that will have home court advantage in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. He's got a center in Greg Oden, a power forward in LaMarcus Aldrige, quickly developing wings in Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster, and of course an All-Star guard in Brandon Roy. What's left? A point guard. Since Roy is capable of handling the ball, a pure ball handler is not a mandate, but one who can become a major threat on the top of the key and who sets up Oden and Aldrige turns the Blazers into an extremely difficult team to defend.

What does Pritchard do Thursday night? Get the perfect player for his system: Jerryd Bayless. Not to mention, he picks up Joey Dorsey and Darrell Arthur to add some excellent post bench players.

A lot of factors play into whether an organization is successful, but when these two teams are separated by 20 wins each of the next couple years, look no further than the last several draft nights.

You know I LOVE T.robinson and that was a gutsy call by rich cho or MJ or whoever made that call. I like MKG, great motor, tough kid and I can see him under MJ's tutelage he might wind up as the second best player in this draft way down the line. Somebody mentioned Gerald wallace comparisons.. yeah I can see it, wallace was way more explosive though and didn't have a jumpshot when he came into the league also. But if MKG develops a jumpshot.. WOW watch out!

I like Beal and waiters a lot also. Beal is a lengthier eric gordon with the potential to be ray allen lite (when I mean ray allen lite, I mean a prime time ray allen lite). Waiters reminds me more of Marcus thornton currently with the potential of mark aguire. Those wade comparisons make me chuckle LOL, Wade is ridiculous at MArquette, any other year besides the 03 draft and wade was a top 3 pick, maybe #1 overall. Waiters will not come close to wade ever they got complete different games.

I like Beal and waiters a lot also. Beal is a lengthier eric gordon with the potential to be ray allen lite (when I mean ray allen lite, I mean a prime time ray allen lite). Waiters reminds me more of Marcus thornton currently with the potential of mark aguire. Those wade comparisons make me chuckle LOL, Wade is ridiculous at MArquette, any other year besides the 03 draft and wade was a top 3 pick, maybe #1 overall. Waiters will not come close to wade ever they got complete different games.

mark aguirre?

dion waiters is a shooting guard, or a combo guard, with no post game, or mid range game, a slasher. hes nothing like mark aguirre

I think he's going to be a really good player. I wouldn't have took him if I was Charlotte. He seems like a player who is going to play within the flow of the offense, be very good defensively, high energy type of game. Doesn't really seem like a very skilled scorer which I think a team like Charlotte could really use.

Who knows what happens down the line but I think a guy like Thomas Robinson who coulda came in and got them 15-20 points would have benefited them more next season.

I'm always wary of overrating the second best player on a great team. They tend to get extra exposure due to the team's success and score more due to less defensive attention. You might call this "The Duhon Effect." But I don't watch college basketball at all so who knows with Gilchrist.

mkg can be a much more efficient G wallace on offense because mkg i think is a better passer maybe he has better handles as well when Crash entered the league. so he may not have the leaping ability wallace had back then but am sure he can or will be better...